Darkstorm

Darkstorm is the working title for a high fantasy worldbuilding project currently being crafted by author Tom Brown. Work on the setting, and story, first began in 2009, and has proceeded gradually ever since. The entire project is dedicated to the memory of Tom's mother, Phyllis Brown, who passed away on 9 October 2020.

=Ilunar=

Overview
The most easterly of the Five Realms of the world of Achirion, and the one most distant from any other in comparison to the other four. In this regard, Ilunar is considered somewhat isolated. It is also the only realm to be unified under a single government.

Geography and climate
Terrain and weather patterns.

Climate
Ilunar has a climate characterised by mild winters and cool summers. The most extreme temperatures are found in the far north and far south, which are the coldest and warmest regions of the continent, respectively. The majority of the continent has around of 179 days of precipitation annually, on average receiving a total of 30 inches of rain per year. Spring is the driest season and autumn is the wettest.

Flora and fauna
Animals and plants. Common, uncommon and rare species.

Central
At its pinnacle, the nation is led by its queen. While their rule is absolute, they are advised by a privy council which handles routine administration and is involved in matters of diplomacy, defense, economics, law and justice, royal security, and public welfare. The council deals with national and individual interest matters, issues proclamations in the monarch's name, and supervises the courts and law enforcement. While the council can make decisions, the monarch can veto them without question.

The principal officer of the council is the secretary of state, who serves as the queen's most senior advisor and de facto head of government. The daily business of the government is divided between numerous important bodies - the Foreign Office, War Office, Tax Office, Imprest Office, Ordnance Office, and Works Office.

At present, the key figures in the central government of Ilunar are -


 * Yaela I, Empress of Ilunar
 * Hillan, Prince of Beverstone (Josh Dallas)
 * Rhodan, Prince of Waydon (Tom Hopper)
 * Kethris Halded, Lord Steward (TBD)
 * Polbier Levri, Lord Chamberlain (TBD)
 * Lenseph Demose, Secretary Royal (Charles Dance)
 * Lord Keeper of the Treasury (TBD)
 * High Justiciar (TBD)
 * Lord High Admiral (TBD)
 * Marshal of the Army (TBD)

Regional
Regional government within the empire is divided between four administrative bodies - the Council of the North, the Council of the South, the Council of the East, and the Council of the West. Each of these bodies is comprised of nobles from that area and is collectively responsible for coordinating government within the region. The governors of each individual county within that region answer to their respective council and take their guidance from it, while likewise being able to call on it for support when and if needed. Each council is comprised of five members and every member is appointed by the monarch on the recommendations of their privy council.

The empire as a whole is divided into 31 provinces, each overseen by an imperial representative known as a lord deputy, appointed by the monarch and answering to them via the secretary royal.

Municipal
TBD

Military
Ground, sea and elite forces.

Economics and trade
Currency, commodities, imports and exports.

Guilds and other organizations
Commerce and craft guilds, learned societies, etc.

Knights of the Scarlet Banner
An elite chivalric order established by the first king over 1,000 years ago during the Second Age. Only the monarch can appoint a person to its ranks, and membership within the order is considered one of the highest honors any Ilunaran can achieve. Membership in the order is limited to 200 persons. Several of the empire's top military officers are members of the order, as many of its most legendary historical figures have likewise been members. The monarch is official head of the order, but its day-to-day business is overseen by a knight known as the Prior General.

The order has only one rank - Knight Companion.

Incantrium
The arcane order of the continent, operating under a royal charter that has been in place since the earliest years of the empire. It has four primary responsibilities - to identify and train young arcanists, to seek and acquire magical items and texts for study and preservation, to identify and neutralize arcanists who violate the law so that they may face justice, and to offer a wide range of arcane services to the empire and its people. It is led by a senior arcanist known as the High Magister (or High Magistra, if female). Its headquarters is Capvering Hold, located in the Military District of Highspire, the capital city of the empire. The current leader of the Order is the High Magistra Violette Humilio, who has served in this capacity for the last 24 years. She is widely regarded as the single most powerful arcanist on the continent.

The order has four ranks (from lowest to highest) - Apprentice, Journeyman, Adept, and Master. Arcanists of the ranks of adept and master can be addressed by the honorific of "Magister". The leader of the Order is known as the High Magister, or High Magistra if female. Only master arcanists can sit on the order's governing Arcane Council.

Culture
Social hierarchy, cuisine, clothing, architecture.

Religion
Monotheistic or polytheistic, beliefs, traditions and rituals.

God(s)
The Divine Order is a polytheistic faith over four thousand years old. It centers around seven deities known as the Circle Celestial. These beings are collectively the source of all of creation, and their power sustains it. They are transcendent, being completely outside of and beyond the world. Collectively, they watch over and guide their creation and the peoples who live within it.

The Seven are known alternatively as the High Ones. Anmos, the god of law and governance, is recognized as the Chief of the Gods, and is often referred to as the Highest One.

The seven deities of the Circle are -
 * Anmos, the god of law and governance
 * Chief of the Gods, The Highest One, Supreme Arbiter, Lord at the Centre
 * Yion, the god of magic and knowledge
 * Keeper of the Mysteries, Father of the Dragons, Warden of the Wells, Infinite Scholar
 * Hadarr, the god of travel and commerce
 * Counter of the Coin, Master of Good Fortunes, Traveler's Friend, Walker of the Roads
 * Wylmir, the god of community and revelry
 * Lady of Joy, Mistress of Celebrations, Watcher at the Gates
 * Vedea, the goddess of hearth and family
 * Nurturing Mother, Matriarch, Lady of Love
 * Rela, the goddess of medicine and mercy
 * Our Lady of Mercies, Great Healer, Bearer of Burdens
 * Qeasis, the goddess of industry and agriculture
 * Lady of Works, Divine Architect, Artificer Unparalleled, Mistress of the Bountiful Harvest

Teachings
The faith teaches people to live justly and honorably, demonstrate kindness to the less fortunate, respect the land and creatures in it, seek balance in their daily lives, and avoid vice and wickedness. Those who do so are granted eternal rest after death, and taken into the paradise of the Luminous Gardens, where the High Ones dwell. Those whose lives have been filled with cruelty, corruption, falsehood or malice, those who have abused the less fortunate, and those who have given their lives over to depravity are condemned to eternal misery in the Dread Plain. This cold, grim place exists distant from the gods, who no longer acknowledges those who dwell there, and where eternal punishment befits the deeds of each mortal's life. The faith reminds its adherents that all living things eventually die, and that ultimately every mortal soul will face divine judgment.

Clergy
The clergy of the Order are known as prelates, men and women who have undergone a rigorous five-year path of intensive study and meditation to achieve ordination. These priests live to represent and spread the message of the faith to all and provide spiritual counsel to the citizens of the empire. Prelates are identifiable by their brown robes. Every town and village in the land has a chapel in it, where the local prelate leads daily prayers each morning, and a weekly worship service for all in the village. They always live in a set of modest rooms at the back of the chapel. In the cities, these worship sites are known as great chapels, and are larger and more spacious.

The seat of the faith is the Great Chapel of Eilion in the capital city of Highspire. The leader of the Order at present is Curate Beldim Irvarmo, who has served in his post for seventeen years.

Ritual(s)
A common prayer of the faithful is known as the Sacred Affirmation. It reads, “You are the light of this world, the beacon which guides us. May your holy names be upon our hearts, and your words always in our thoughts. As we praise you in life, so one day may we praise you eternally in the hereafter and bask always in the glory of your presence.”

Source
In each of the Five Realms, magic comes from a distinctive source. The wellspring of arcane energies in Ilunar is known as the Font of Conjunction. From it, magical energy suffuses the land and enriches it with power, creating a pervasive, interconnected web of arcane energy known as the Ambience. Unfortunately for most, only a select few have the ability to harness and utilize this energy. Arcanists are born; they cannot be made, and it is estimated that only one in every 1,000 people is born with “the Gift” as this ability is known. There are no definitive formulae to explain how a Gifted child is chosen. Two mundane parents can have a Gifted child, or two Gifted parents can have a dozen mundane children. It is commonly believed that the decision of who is Gifted and who is not is made by Yion, the god of magic and knowledge, according to his own counsel.

Unknown to all but the members of the Incantrium itself, as well as a few within the royal government, the Font is located in a cavern system deep beneath Capvering Hold itself. The location is heavily secured and only a few know how to access it.

Unbinding
For those born with the Gift, in their fourth or fifth year they experience an event known as the Unbinding. This event refers to the point at which the youth’s own arcane resonance becomes fully connected to the Ambience itself, resulting in a burst of considerable magical power. It is typically triggered when a child encounters a potent arcane energy source but can also result from exposure to an event inducing great stress or trauma. The event manifests itself in many different ways, such objects around the person may suddenly begin to float, or the item they’re holding will inexplicably burst into flames. This event gives off a significant amount of energy, which will be detected by other arcanists. At this point, two representatives of the Incantrium will be dispatched to find and meet this child and their parents. They will explain what has happened, provide any necessary assistance with correcting any damage that has occurred as a result of the Unbinding, and will then make arrangements to take the child for training.

Training
It is required by law that all Gifted children be taught how to properly use their magical powers, for their own welfare as much as that of the civilian populace. The child will be brought to the nearest Incantrium chapter house, where they will “take the novitiate”, as the ten-year regime of arcane education is known. During this time, a magister will be assigned as the apprentice's instructor, responsible for ensuring they receive all the training they will need. They will then enter a small group of anywhere from three to ten other apprentices. The education the Incantrium provides is rigorous and demanding, but it ensures each apprentice is prepared to address concerns both magical and mundane. Aside from their training with magic, they are also taught writing, reading, arithmetic, botany, geology, and several other subjects. Once the ten-year period is complete, every apprentice arcanist a ritual known as the Trial of the First Seal or the Journey to the Horizon. In this, they drink a special chymical mixture that induces a realistic hallucination unique to the individual. Within this experience, the novice must face their innermost fears and overcome them, as “an arcanist who cannot defeat self-doubt and rise to the moment can never truly accomplish all they are meant to.” While in this hallucinatory state, apprentices are supervised by a magister and a healer. The trial has three possible outcomes. The first, and most common, is that the apprentice successfully completes the trial and is welcomed into the order as a journeyman arcanist in a celebratory ceremony. The second outcome, which is very rare, is that an apprentice fails their trial and suffers a mental break, which causes their connection to the Ambience being severed, which results in them losing the capacity to wield magic and becoming what is known as "Null". Those who experience this outcome will spend a mandatory period of time under the supervisor of healers before being returned home to their families. The third, and rarest outcome, is that an apprentice falls victim to the hallucination’s seeming reality and is driven incurably insane. The unfortunate few who fall victim to this outcome, known as "suffering the Delirium", are put away where they cannot harm themselves or others and cared for by highly specialized guardians.

Anti-Magic Sentiments
There are some who fear magic and those who wield it. Wild claims of unchecked natural disasters, crazed fanatics driven mad by careless research, and even invasions of otherworldly beings from a different plane are among the various dangers those fearful insist arcanists will one day call down on the magically talented and the mundane alike. None of these claims have yet come true, however, and that does not stop the accusations, but those who feel so strongly against magic and those who use it must be mindful not to violate laws against libel and slander.

Myths, legends and folklore
Things like the Black Fleet, Howling Well, etc.

Names
Castleside - Bankhearth - Caskilot - Highspire - Hollomith - Spellshore

Darvom - Odrit To - Emrel - Adril Tan - Gengrim Od - Loncror Ghur - Modren Zel